Internet Habits Then & Now: 2002 vs. 2012 [Infographic]

We all know that technology is advancing super fast, but what about our Internet habits? Do you think those are evolving just as quickly? They are, although sometimes it’s hard to notice it. Just stop for a moment and think how your Internet habits were different before you owned your first smartphone. Do you remember the first time you bought something online? How about the first time you ordered a pizza from your iPhone?

In the context of the lifespan of the Internet, a decade is relatively short, but in the context of our Internet habits, a decade makes all the difference in the world. Think back to 2002, which was only ten years ago. Back then, we only spent an average of 46 minutes each day on the Internet. Today the average is 4 hours, and in the geek community, it’s easily double that. It’s mind-blowing to think that in 2002 there were only 3 million websites. Today, there are around 555 million.

When I think about the main difference in my own Internet habits when comparing 2002 to 2012, I immediately think about social media. We must have all had a lot of spare time back then since we weren’t on so many social sites. I can’t even imagine life without those sites now, and thankfully, in my lifetime, I don’t think I’ll ever have to. I think most people would agree that social media is not a fad, and it’s here to stay.

This infographic called The Internet: A Decade Later by BestEdSites.com not only provides some interesting stats when it comes to how our Internet habits have changed over the past ten years, but it also highlights how some companies have paid a steep price for being unwilling to adapt and grow with those changes. One thing is for sure, and that is our Internet use will continue to evolve, and it will look very different in ten years from now. I put a screenshot below of a Google+ post by Google’s Louis Gray from February of this year. It shows how many new users the Internet is adding every second of the day. As he says, if you bet against the web, you’ll lose. How have your Internet habits changed over the years?